I have been asked to provide some “mini” training sessions for a client. They want them to run from 1.5 to 2 hours total, rather than a full day session. So what I would like to hear from the general Bob population would be some ideas for what those topics might be.
Some ideas - I think - are obvious. I could talk for 1.5 hours on variable context (with lots of examples) easily. I could talk about synchronization of multiple data providers. Complex queries (sub-queries, unions, etc.) would be a good topic.
And it’s not limited to Reporter; Designer is also fair game.
So, if you have an idea as to a particular topic that you would have liked to have had more in depth knowledge while you were getting started with BusObj, I would appreciate the input. Thanks!
Not sure your exact audience, but I did a few mini sessions for my users who are non-IT, very basic users… and the one they liked the best was just reviewing queries and the logic behind them… including union and subqueries and all that good stuff.
'course it came back to haunt me… every time they try to do something “complicated” I have to fix it.
Good point. The audience would probably depend on the topic and description. It could range from report writers to universe developers. So the possibilities are fairly wide open.
Synchronization of multiple data providers is always a big one for our users. They need to know the hows and whys. The way our universe is designed we also use the subquery alot. Some of our users are starting to get to the point of having to understand Contexts - the more they use the tool the more complex the questions therefore the need to use contexts in variables. But, we didn’t touch on Contexts for several months.
I find that I use a lot of the Break options in reports and users don’t usually find these on their own.
We’ve actually had a session on Aggregate Aware, and it went well. Context vs. Alias is certainly a valid topic. And I assumed that the “Variables and More” theme was a given.
Anybody else? What was your favorite topic in a Reporter or Designer class? What’s your favorite feature of the product? What is something that you fumbled around with until the “light went on” and you understood it?
Thanks for the ideas… actually, the concept is to set up a number of 2 hour sessions, one to be delivered each month. I would like to alternate between designer and reporter topics. Supervisor activities are contained within a small top-level group at this client, which is why I didn’t ask for ideas there. The client uses webi, but 85-90% of their report development is with full client.
How about a session on loops, aliases and contexts. So you start off simple with a couple of tables, simple reports - show there are no loops and that no aliases or contexts are required. Now create a loop, show the problems this causes and in the first instance sort it out using an alias. Then show how this works in the final report. Now revisit the same scenario and create another loop (or situation which requires a context). Implement a context solution - and show how it works.
Here’s another idea: How about Creating cascading prompts, so the LOV for each prompt contains values based on the value chosen for the previous prompt.
We’re doing something similar today … You advertise them as training sessions, but they’re really concentrated user groups … it gets all of your designers (or report developers) together on a regular basis.
Some Lessons Learned …
The agenda usually consists of (1) Corporate Update - Any news from a corporate perspective (i.e., new releases, standards, audits, upcoming training classes, etc.) (2) Industry Update - Any news from Business Objects (i.e., new products, industry direction, etc.) (3) Training - Remember we’re billed as a training exercise - pick a concentrated topic like the one’s that have been suggested to review (4) Tips / Techniques / Best Practices - These usually keep it interactive. And the idea (like any user group) is to encourage sharing. The neat part here, is that users will start contributing their own Tips very quickly. (5) Universe/Report Walkthru - We try to have a walkthru on a various LOB universe or report - Kindof like a group peer review to learn what works (and doesn’t). Also gives users a chance to show off their works (6) Q/A/General Discussion - Although it’s encouraged throughout the whole session.
Don’t be afraid to tangent around … the agenda is a starting place, but the interactivity is the real power behind the groups
We used to go monthly, but recently scaled back to quarterly (and sometimes skip the summer meeting) … some people were in both groups and it was just getting too busy to keep meeting
For the reporter class, we generally try to make it exclusively FullClient or WebI … every 3-4 classes we intersperse a WebI specific class
Try to have the classes in a lab setting. Some folks like to just sit and watch. Others like to follow along interactively using their own universe/reports.
The eventual goal should be to make the classes self sustaining … To promote that, we’re trying to have different area’s facilitate the meetings … thus the different areas could show off their own tips/universes/reports/etc … also send out an email a week or two ahead of time soliciting agenda items … gets you an idea what’s hot and what’s not
if you ever run out of topics (highly unlikely), start doing some of the User Conference presentations. Maybe I’ll do the Variables and More for our next FC Reporter class (gotta go practice those jokes now :D)
Of course, it goes without saying (and I know that we all know this, but it bears repeating) – for how much of the 2 hours are the users going to get bogged down in questions about understanding their database in general, as much as the Business Objects concepts?
(BOB member since 2002-06-06)
(BOB member since 2002-06-06)
(BOB member since 2002-08-08)
and amazed 
that you didn’t say 
(BOB member since 2002-08-08)
)
or did you say 2 days 
(BOB member since 2002-06-20)
(BOB member since 2002-08-15)
(1) Corporate Update - Any news from a corporate perspective (i.e., new releases, standards, audits, upcoming training classes, etc.)
